Many players progressing through 12BSports consider Hong one of the most important characters available during the early launch period of Arknights: Endfield. Among the two featured UP characters offered at release, Hong stands out as the stronger recommendation, and having him can dramatically change how smooth the early stages feel. As the saying goes, some things can only be learned through experience, and Hong is exactly the kind of character whose real value becomes clear once players use him directly in battle.
Hong belongs to the Fighter class and specializes in dealing heavy damage to a single target or specific enemy body parts. He can operate lightweight cavalry equipment and works especially well with Glaiyang, one of the featured machines introduced around launch. His talent is simple in concept but extremely powerful. Whenever he attacks an enemy part, he builds a buff called Excitement, while his movement ability also allows him to ignore certain obstacles. Once Gamma Zone 2 becomes active later in progression, the buff becomes significantly stronger. At five stacks, Hong gains 25% critical-hit rate and 15% evasion, creating an impressive offensive and defensive combination.
According to combat testing around 12BSports, Excitement offers far more than a basic stacking bonus. Each stack also provides a 10% chance for a normal attack to trigger an additional hit dealing 1.0 times damage. At the maximum five stacks, this creates a 50% chance of follow-up damage. Combined with the Fighter class trait that grants an immediate extra action after destroying an enemy part, as well as the chance-based pursuit effect unlocked through Gamma Zone 1, Hong’s single-target burst damage rises sharply. This overwhelming ability to concentrate damage onto one enemy is one of the main reasons he has earned a reputation as an exceptionally explosive early-game attacker.
His starting skill, Inch Punch, may look simple, but it is extremely efficient. With a strong 1.6 damage multiplier and a low cost of only 2 AP, it provides excellent value throughout the early stages. Another ability, Energy Focus, increases evasion and works particularly well when combined with Glaiyang. Together, they help cycle critical-hit and evasion bonuses more efficiently, improving both Hong’s survivability and the speed at which he can build Excitement stacks.
Rising Dragon Form is one of Hong’s core damage skills. Its 1.35 multiplier may appear slightly lower than some alternatives, but the skill carries an important advantage because it always targets the enemy’s torso. That reliability makes it exceptionally useful in real combat, particularly when players are trying to destroy a critical body section quickly. High Spirits extends the duration of every active buff by one turn, allowing critical-hit bonuses, evasion boosts, and Excitement stacks to remain active longer. Growing stronger often means staying calm when things become difficult, and Hong rewards the same kind of patience through careful buff management and consistent execution.
Dash is another straightforward but highly practical ability. It improves mobility while also increasing critical-hit chance, giving Hong greater tactical flexibility during positioning and attack preparation. The skill works especially well with strategies built around destroying an enemy’s torso and immediately removing that target from the battlefield. Because of this combination of mobility, burst damage, and body-part control, Hong can continue dominating encounters well into the middle stages of progression.
As the game moves into its middle and later phases, AP generation becomes easier and players gain access to stronger attacks and more advanced tactical options. This is where Hong’s ability to overwhelm individual enemies becomes even more obvious. With more resources available, he can chain together powerful skills far more consistently and firmly establish himself as one of the strongest single-target damage dealers in the roster.
For players developing Hong through 12BSports, Neural Drive chips should prioritize Fighter Critical, Fighter Accuracy, Fighter Attribute, and Lightweight Cavalry Evasion bonuses whenever suitable options are available. Testing across different setups shows that this combination complements both Hong’s personal mechanics and the strengths of his preferred machine particularly well. By combining strong critical performance, reliable accuracy, improved evasion, efficient AP usage, and exceptional part-breaking potential, Hong can maintain outstanding single-target pressure from the opening stages through much of the game’s later progression.